NFL Mock Draft: Who Do Falcons Take After Big Blockbuster Trade?

The Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears' trade has shaken up the NFL Draft. Where does that leave the Atlanta Falcons with the No. 8 pick?

Jeremy Brener | Mar 11, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

The NFL Draft looks very different after the Carolina Panthers traded up from No. 9 to No. 1 with the Chicago Bears.

By trading up, the Panthers hopped over their NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons at No. 8, and the board is brand new.

In ESPN's latest mock draft, the Falcons' needs don't change, but their targets do. ESPN projects that the Falcons will take Georgia outside linebacker Nolan Smith with the No. 8 pick.

"After 21 sacks, the Falcons need all the pass-rush help they can get," ESPN writes. "Lorenzo Carter -- who joined Grady Jarrett as the only Atlanta players with at least three sacks last season -- was just re-signed, but this team needs more players who can get pressure off the edge."

There is a chance the Falcons could take a quarterback, but with the Panthers trading up, it makes it far less likely for Atlanta to land one of the top signal callers if the team stays at No. 8. Someone could argue that the Panthers (No. 1), Houston Texans (No. 2), Indianapolis Colts (No. 4) and Las Vegas Raiders (No. 7) will all take quarterbacks, leaving the Falcons to take one of the best non-quarterbacks in the draft.

Outside of the quarterbacks, Alabama outside linebacker Will Anderson (No. 3, Arizona Cardinals), Texas Tech pass rusher Tyree Wilson (No. 5, Seattle Seahawks) and Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez (No. 6, Detroit Lions) are off the board by the time the Falcons are on the clock.

The mock draft leaves players like Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter or Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski on the board, but Smith is rising up draft boards and he can offer the Falcons some much-needed help on the pass rush front should he come to Atlanta.

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Published Mar 11, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.